The Pilgrimage Podcast

Aye, y'all, what's good?! I had my big sis Sharifa Stevens on the episode today. We talked about the legacy of colonization that affects being a Black woman in the church, the seminary space, and as a mother. We also hit on imagining the goodness of God when all seems to be going to ruin. What is God's disposition for those who worry and have been battered? I think you'll be encouraged by Sharifa's powerful reflections. I also hope you enjoy the laughter. This episode was a joy.

You can follow Sharifa's work on these different sites:

Twitter - @sharifawrites

Substack - https://sharifahstevens.substack.com/

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/sharifawrites

Sharifa's Tip Jar:

Venmo - @Sharifa-Stevens

Aye y'all?! What's good? We have a revisiting guest in Pastor R.G.A. Trey Ferguson III on this episode. We chop it up about how battle rap has influenced his preaching by way of helping him craft words that land and sit with people in meaningful ways. I had fun with this one, family. We talk about pastoral care, love, and accountability. Also, Trey is writing a book!! It's called Theologizin' Bigger and I'm anticipating it's release ever-so fervently. In all reality, I just really trust Trey and his heart for people and his walking according to the path God has him on.

If you'd like to financially support him on the way to publication, here is his GoFundMe where he explains the reason behind his fundraising technique as a Black Writer: https://www.gofundme.com/f/theologizinbigger

You can follow Trey's work on these different sites: 

Twitter - @PastorTrey05

Instagram - @PastorTrey05

Substack - https://pastortrey05.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile

New Living Treyslation - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-living-treyslation/id1576078435

Three Black Men Podcast- Trey co-hosts 3 Black Men with Sam Gay and Robert Monson. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/three-black-men-theology-culture-and-the-world-around-us/id1535582503

Here are Robert and Sam's individual podcasts: 

(Robert) Black Coffee and Theology Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-coffee-and-theology-podcast/id1577198625. 

Sam We Gon' Talk About It - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-gon-talk-about-it/id1620682591

Trey's Tip Jar

Trey's Venmo: @PastorTrey05

Trey's Cashapp: $PastorTrey05

My Socials

Twitter - @ZeruFitsum

Instagram - @zeru_fitsum

Substack - https://zeru.substack.com/

Aye, y'all, what's good?! Hope y'all have are enjoying the advent of this Spring season. I know it's snowing in some of y'all's cities, so y'all must not be praying hard enough... Anyway, I brought my pastor Wesley Mills back onto the podcast to speak about the Pilgrim's journey of sacralizing metaphor. It's not an easy practice, but it is a worthwhile one. Language works inasmuch we're reaching people's hearts, and what better thing to reach people with than love? We talk about different layers of metaphor, so I have it sparks thoughts and models conversationally what can be present in your daily interactions. Hope y'all enjoy :). Luh ya big time.

Wesley's Socials: 

Twitter - @_WesleyMills

Instagram - @wesley_mills

Wesley's Sermons:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mosaic-knox-sermons-messages/id1547291136—some of mine are on here too :).

Wesley's Tip Jar: 

Venmo - @MillsWesley

My Socials

Twitter - @ZeruFitsum

Instagram - @zeru_fitsum

Substack - https://zeru.substack.com/

Aye y'all, what's good?! I'm so glad to be back with Season 2 of the Pilgrimage Podcast, and this season opener is a banger! Robert Monson is a Black man who aims to point us all toward softness in a world that is proficient at brutalizing. Knowing this about him, I asked him to speak about his journey of being loved by God and loving God when it hasn't always been easy. These reflections are guided by Jürgen Moltmann's quote: “I know: there is someone waiting for me, who will not give me up, who goes ahead of me, who lifts me up, someone to whom I am important.” Robert has known a lot of suffering and he takes the suffering of the world seriously. We talk about Black Atheism, growing up in Chicagoland, meeting Jesus in college, feeling disillusioned with white evangelicalism, walking the contemplative life, and so much more. Hope y'all enjoy this episode! 

You can follow Robert's work on these different sites: 

Twitter - @robertjmonson

Substack - Robert posts soft reflections here on God and life, guiding us on an existence that is learning to honor our bodies' calls for rest and breath. https://musingsfromabrokenheart.substack.com/

Black Coffee and Theology Podcast - Robert is a solo host on this podcast and brings on many guests, exploring the multivalent realms of practical theology. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-coffee-and-theology-podcast/id1577198625. 

Three Black Men Podcast- Robert co-hosts with Sam Gay and Pastor Trey Ferguson, and they look at life and theology from their intersections. Incredible conversations here. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/three-black-men-theology-culture-and-the-world-around-us/id1535582503

Also Trey and Sam have individual podcasts: 

Trey's - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-living-treyslation/id1576078435; 

Sam's - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-gon-talk-about-it/id1620682591

Robert's Tip Jar

Robert's Venmo: @Robert-Monson-2

Rober's Cashapp: $RobertMonson

My Socials

Twitter - @ZeruFitsum

Instagram - @zeru_fitsum

Substack - https://zeru.substack.com/

Aye y'all what's good?! On this episode, Quina Aragon and I chopped it up about her new book "Love Can." It's coming out in February, and it is the third book in a children's series about the Trinity. The First, "Love Made," is about how the Triune God created the world out of love for us. The Second, "Love Gave," is about friendship and the sacrificial love of Christ. And the third, "Love Can" speaks to the power of love that resides in us via the person of the Holy Spirit. The latter half of the convo is a raw look into the life of someone who has endured a lot of shots to the body. Quina's story the past few years has been one of chronic pain and fatigue and we walked through what that pilgrimage has been like. 

You can preorder Quina's book "Love Can" here: https://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/books/love-can-9780736974400

Follow her on Twitter: @Quina_Aragon

Instagram: @quina_aragon

Website: @https://quinaaragon.com/

You can find her writings, spoken words, and other displays of her gifts on her website. 

Aye, y'all, what's good! Long time no see. In this episode, I chop it up with one of my favorite creatives, Hanna Leka. She's a SoCal resident who does photography and makes rugs. In this episode she shares many encouraging words to those of us who don't have the energy to stay the course with their gifts and dreams. We go into getting that alone time with God and listening to the voice of the Ultimate Creative who gave us our creative abilities and how relying on that knowledge can sustain us amid our discouragement. Luh y'all big time! Hope You Enjoy!

Follow Hanna Leka on Insta

Personal Account: @hannerrrs

Photography Account: @haniimages

Aye, y'all, what's good?!?! On this episode, I talk with a friend that I call Brother Jerry. We gotta keep his identity a lil ambiguous for several reasons. But, Jerry is one who knows what it's like to not have to depend on others, and the vulnerable places that dependence actually puts us in. Learning to believe we need those that are different than us is important but it's hard. And Jerry has found this piece of his pilgrimage as crucial. We speak about the tangible ways Jesus has reached out to help Jerry and his family amid gargantuan traumas that still affect them today. I hope y'all enjoy today's episode! 

Here is the link to the X-Ray questions Brother Jerry mentions toward the end of the episode: http://storage.cloversites.com/crosshaven/documents/xray.pdf

Luh y'all big time! 

aye, y'all, whatt's good?! Man oh man am I excited about today's episode. We are joined by Dr. Sam Won, Director of Formation and Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. In all honesty, I invited him so we could talk about the grief around closing a church that was doing well. We do talk about that, yes, but, being so interested in his family's story of immigration, we explore what Sam felt was an almost utopian childhood. We learn about his father's transition to ministry after achieving a psychology degree in Korea; his realization of embedded racism in America even in the era of desegregating schools. Sam shares with us a nature of a life-giving community that called him forth to a life of ministry. With all the triumphs and heartaches that came with this season of Dr. Sam's life, he's found (in his pilgrimage) that Jesus has been good the whole time, and he encourages us with ways to believe the same when we are at our wit's end concerning the faith. 

Today, I share, briefly, about my pilgrimage with my uncertainties with being Beloved. Maybe y'all will find yourself relating. Thank y'all so much for listening and traversing this journey with me. 

Aye, y'all!! What's good?! Today's episode was recorded with my friend Jalynn Baker. We chat about her story and how she grew a passion for storytelling through photography, as well as through other mediums. She shared about her journey to finding her voice in predominantly white spaces as a Black woman and offers encouragement to aspiring creatives wanting to listen to the voice inside of them that tells them to create! Hope you all enjoy the episode. 

Aye y'all, what's good?! I'm not gonna lie, for a lil bit, I thought I was just gonna drop off. But, with ample encouragement and feeling compelled by the desire within me to create content, I knew I couldn't stop. Hope y'all have been well. Luh ya big time. 

Hey, friends. My friend, Barry Kerr, unexpectedly passed away almost two weeks ago. In today's episode, I spent a few minutes verbally processing what I had been feeling on the day of his funeral. This episode's content is not particularly insightful; it is primarily revealing. It shares experiences I had with Barry; it explains his persona. Lastly, I finish the episode with the silly "Barry Songs" my friends and I would sing for him every time we would leave his house after dinner or a meeting. We love you, Barry. 

Aye y'all, what's good?! In today's episode, I tackle the topic of incompetence with my cousin Ebenezer Endiryas (pastor of Perazim Church and host of Shaping the Culture Podcast). We talk about calling, failure, and continuance. This pilgrimage that we call life unloads heavy feelings of incompetence onto us, and it causes a lot of us to question whether it is wise or not to embrace said incompetence. Are we wasting our time, or are we sowing an indispensable investment when we continue through the embarrassments and loneliness of incompetence? This conversation aims to encourage those whose proficiencies are not quite where they want them to be by pointing to the grueling yet beautiful pilgrimage of working through failure and hoping to see God work uniquely through each of us.